Deep Litter Method - The Easiest Way To Deal With Chicken Litter

elaineinspain · Oct 13, 2018

Jesse Diaz said:
new to raising chickens. would this work on on a wooden slat wood floor. My coop is off the ground about 2 feet. I am going to be moving them out to the coop in a few days. i have bought pine shavings. TS said to lay a trap down so i don;t lose shaving. would like to use this method. thank you for any help

it works on pretty much every type of floor. I have a concrete floor and it works, albeit the composting of the litter is slower than with an earth floor.

toomanyfowltocount · Oct 30, 2018

nerfworthy said:
Great guide! I have a question. My coop has a wood floor, so would it work to put down a thin layer of dirt first before adding bedding?

We have a wood floor in our coop. An easy fix for this was to buy linoleum flooring that you peel and stick to it before putting anything down. Keeps the wood protected from rot and a lot easier to keep clean too since the litter/compost slides off of the smooth surface. We got ours from Lowes for $1.00 for each 18x18inch piece.

toomanyfowltocount · Oct 30, 2018

anunusualwoman said:
is there something i can use instead of pine (or cedar) shavings? I have an allergic reaction to pine and a lesser extent to cedar.

We use hay (bermuda grass) because we live in Texas. It's a thin grass, composts nicely, and a big bale out here is $5. The chickens love to forage through it whenever I put a new layer down. A lot more cost effective than the pine shavings for us. We also have livestock so we buy a lot of it

toomanyfowltocount · Oct 30, 2018

MROO said:
Question about Deep Litter Method (DLM) and diatomaceous earth (DE.) We use DLM in our coop - a converted playhouse/sandbox - and were warned against using DE because it kills the beneficial bugs and bacteria that break down the litter (and create heat in the winter.) Does anybody have a good "scoop" on the "poop?"

Responding to Liz7, we have a wooden floor that we covered with linoleum (to protect it from rot). I use the DLM and it composts just fine. I don't use pine shavings though. Due to it being more cost effective (I have a 8x16ft coop) I use bermuda hay (a big bale for me costs $5 and we have livestock so we buy in bulk)
And DE is actually good for the birds (to take internally), I mix it in with my birds food one a month as a natural parasite preventative, along with an herb blend I get online. As long as it's food grade, it's fine. Even people can (and do) take it internally for health issues. When putting it in the coop for fly control just make sure you wear a mask and your birds aren't in there until after you have mixed it into your bedding and let it settle. I've used it with the DLM and mine composts fine. Then again, it might have something to do with humidity too. We live in Texas so that helps break things down. If we were in the desert it might be different

Hannahlee · Nov 11, 2018

nerfworthy said:
Great guide! I have a question. My coop has a wood floor, so would it work to put down a thin layer of dirt first before adding bedding?

I put pvc sheeting down first, before adding pine shavings and industrial hemp. I didn't glue it down and can easily remove it if I have to. I believe it is used for tub surrounds and was purchased at Menards for something like $18 for a 4'x8' sheet.

Hannahlee · Nov 11, 2018

anunusualwoman said:
is there something i can use instead of pine (or cedar) shavings? I have an allergic reaction to pine and a lesser extent to cedar.

Industrial hemp absorbs and does not smell. Pricier than pine shavings, but it works really well. I have read that some people also use sand and sift it to remove the chicken poo.

NanaKat · Nov 11, 2018

I have used DLM for 20 plus years. My hen house is an 11x 12 ncorner of our barn. The HH has a dirt floor. The brooder room is a 11 X 12 concrete floor room attached to the HH. Wood shavings in the brooder room get swept into the HH about once a month. The HH gets hay, pine needles, and leaves in addition to the wood shavings. Pelleted lime helps with any odor in the roost box where poo accumulates overnight. The contents of the roost box gets hauled out twice a year to the compost behind the barn. Clean out in the HH is done in the spring and is used for mulch in the garden.

Compost King · Nov 16, 2018

My favorite Method but you better treat the litter for pests, I had either a lice or a mite problem in one coop. Easy to take care of but even easier to prevent.

Breannamay4 · Nov 21, 2018

Henhouse1 said:
What is food grade DE?

food grade Diatmatious earth. Its basically ground up fossils. Available at your local chicken store or mudouchs.

Wee Farmer Sarah · Dec 30, 2018

Good article. This is my first winter with my flock and I started using DLM in early November when the temps dipped into the teens. I've been adding fresh shavings, lime & DE occasionally, but I think I will increase the amounts and frequency since there's still some aroma. Thanks again for the pointers.

dadeo · Feb 25, 2019

cwren said:
Has anyone added fall leaves to the litter? I've seen chickens sifting through leaves and they seemed very happy.

I collect leaves in the fall from my friends and neighbors and store them to use throughout the winter as litter - no ill effects, except that they are less absorbent than straw and shavings, so I need to add it a bit more often.

I like the DE idea - I use it as a dewormer for other livestock, but it seems like a good preventative here, too. Thanks!

9876 · Apr 1, 2019

Love this method! I will try it myself.. thanks!

9876 · Apr 1, 2019

AlienChick said:
DLM works great! I've been using it for 6 years now. I clean the coop once or twice a year (depending on how many chickens are housed). The key is to keep the litter DRY to avoid any odors. I use regular pine shavings from TSC and keep adding a bit more shavings as necessary throughout the year. Using DE will help keep it dry and you can also use Sweet PDZ Stall Dry. I put my waterers on pallets to keep the water away from the litter inside the coop. The chickens will keep things stirred up, but if there are areas that are getting compacted and moist, just grab a rake and do a quick stir. I can't imagine cleaning out a chicken coop every day or even every week - I have way too many other farm chores to take care of. So the DLM method fits very well into my farm lifestyle.

I will do this method as well. Seems very easy to care for and I also have multiple farm activities as well. Good article

Plain Jules · Apr 20, 2019

This is what I want to do once I get my coop up and running properly!

Grits&Eggs · Apr 21, 2019

Compost King said:
My favorite Method but you better treat the litter for pests, I had either a lice or a mite problem in one coop. Easy to take care of but even easier to prevent.

Here in Florida, I get ants galore build up, tried this method and had to stop :-( because of the insects!

LeggyLeghorn · Jun 9, 2019

Good information, interesting method.

Larry Rose · Jul 28, 2019

Itzlinda said:
I am rather new to chickens. What I have done seems to be working great. I used Pine shavings and construction grade sand and some PDZ. I have had this down for about 2 months and there is no smell and is working well. Thanks for all the great info on this site

I also use sand, with Pine Shavings on top. I add shavings as necessary and only clean the Coop when it needs it. The floor remains dry all the time. It is Concrete with concrete filled blocks with the walls on top of those. Makes it Mouse Proof and predator proof as well. The Chickens door is 8'' off the ground. They have two blocks placed a few inches away from their door, so they have to "Hop -in". This has prevented Mice from getting in. For those with "Mice issues" use a piece of plastic pipe 4'' O.D. and about a 14'' long. Slide a Mouse trap in both ends. This will prevent your chickens from getting caught in the traps.

Larry Rose · Jul 28, 2019

Lesli Hodges said:
Are you doing this inside of the henhouse where they lay the eggs or in the chicken run ? I have a small chicken coop about 4 1/2' x 8' long . Trying to figure out the best way to keep the chicken run smelling good clean healthy and most definitely the flies away .

If you can, increase the size of the "Chicken Run". The larger it is, the better it will be. Mine runs 3/4 of the way around the garden, which gives my chickens 200 ft X 10 ft. Keeps the bugs from getting in the garden, and the grass looks like a golf course. I mow it every week, and rarely see any Chicken Poop! Yes, sometimes "Bigger is Better"!

Larry Rose · Jul 28, 2019

rngrbill said:
Love the DLM. Started using it in MA for my flock of 6 and now in KY with my flock of 8. I also use a poop board under the roost and this keeps most of the Poop out of the litter. I has 1" sides on it so holds quite a bit. Usually clean out 2 -3 times a year depending on condition.

I am remodeling my 12' X 12' Coop that I built this year. It will have an addition just for the Roost area with it's own door. I am going to include a "Poop Board" because I think it's the way to go. This way I can slide it out and scrape the board right into my loader bucket making life easier for me, and more sanitary for my Birds. I use about an inch or two of Construction sand, delivered from my Mason Supply place. They dump it on a cement platform I have and I can have enough for two or three years that way. Just have them dump it on heavy mil plastic if you don't have concrete. Pull the plastic over the top to keep it clean and dry. Use as needed. I use an exhaust fan all summer to keep it smelling nice. And for "Fly Control" I use the old fashioned fly ribbons from Dollar Tree. Cheap and effective. Throw them in the trash when full. ~And use Apple Cider Vinegar every day on the Roost Perches & walls. Kills Mites and is safe and Non-Poisonous"!

nmr · Jun 21, 2020

Can you still compost litter that has been sprinkled with food grade DE or barn lime?

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